Montgomery County, North Carolina solar ordinance
Solar: 250 ft (front property line, major SEPGS) from property lines, 20 ft (ground or pole mounted SEPGS) maximum height, 40 dBA (measured at any property line, major SEPGS) noise limit. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read September 30, 2026.
Updated September 2026
Solar rules
5 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackfront property line, major SEPGSWith respect to a major SEPGS, all structures and fencing associated with a major SEPGS shall meet a minimum front, rear, and side property line setback of 250 feet. | 250 ft |
Maximum heightground or pole mounted SEPGSHeight – A ground or pole mounted SEPGS shall not exceed twenty (20) feet in height as measured from grade at base of the racking and module structures to its highest point. | 20 ft |
Fence heightmajor SEPGS ground mounted systemsA six (6) foot high fence shall be installed for all major SEPGS ground mounted systems | 6 ft |
Noise limitmeasured at any property line, major SEPGSA letter of certification from a North Carolina licensed engineer indicating that inverter noise shall not exceed the lower of 3dBA Leq (1 HR) above preconstruction background or 40 Leq (1 HR) dBA, measured at any property line | 40 dBA |
Decommissioning bondone hundred fifty percent of estimated decommissioning cost, major SEPGSin an amount at least equal to the greater of (1) $106,000 per installed (nameplate) MW or (2) one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the estimated cost of decommissioning the major SEPGS | 150% |
Source: Montgomery County ordinance (PDF), read September 30, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
North Carolina state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All North Carolina rules and counties.
State siting: North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources)
Wind of 1 MW or more needs a state DEQ permit on top of local zoning; solar is sited by counties and towns under their general zoning powers, with no state siting.
N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-215.115 to 143-215.126 (Article 21C). Source
Every North Carolina figure in one spreadsheet
177 figures from 35 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 5 of those places are not on this site. Plus the 3 moratoria and bans on file and North Carolina state law.
How these figures were read
We found Montgomery County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Montgomery County, NC?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 250 ft (front property line, major SEPGS) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Montgomery County, NC?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 20 ft (ground or pole mounted SEPGS). Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.